Sylvester Stallone’s Sweetest Tribute To His ‘Rocky’ Dog Butkus Is Just Heart Touching

Sylvester Stallone posted a sweet tribute to Butkus, the bull mastiff who was his training partner in “Rocky” and “best friend” in real life.

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The actor recently posted a pair of back-to-back shots from his rough pre-fame days that feature himself and his old dog Butkus. “When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pair of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of being successful were as far away as the sun … But I had my dog, BUTKUS, my best friend, my confidant, who always laughed at my jokes, and put up with my moods, and was the one living thing that loved me for who I was!” Stallone wrote along with the first photo, which shows the actor leaning down to hug his furry friend.

“When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pair of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of being successful were as far away as the sun … But I had my dog, BUTKUS, my best friend, my confidant, who always laughed at my jokes, and put up with my moods, and was the one living thing that loved me for who I was!” Stallone wrote along with the first photo, which shows the actor leaning down to hug his furry friend.

Two photos published on Instagram perfectly captured their bond.

Stallone recalled when he was broke and living in a New York City “flophouse” with “hot and cold running roaches.”

Butkus was there for him in the truest sense. “I relied on him for his companionship,” Sly wrote.

“There was not much to do except spend time with each other and that’s where I started to learn the craft of screenwriting. Since I never went out, I relied on his companionship, and actually it was his idea to write Rocky, but don’t tell anyone,” he wrote about his days trying to break into the movie business.

Man and beast came out winners. “Rocky” (1976), the iconic story of an underdog boxer, became a hit and earned the Oscar for Best Picture, launching Stallone to stardom.

Butkus put in such a strong performance that he returned to appear in “Rocky II.” He died in 1981.

Here’s Rocky Balboa getting Butkus as a gift from love interest Adrian Pennino in the original

In the post, Stallone also admits that there was a time he was so destitute and hungry that he had to sell Butkus for $40. Luckily, this sad story of parted friends has a happy ending. After making it big with Rocky, Stallone tracked down the person he sold Butkus to and bought him back – for a slightly inflated price.